1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of personal entertainment devices including toys. More specifically the present invention relates to an image generating apparatus including an image display board having an array of member ports; a light source behind the display board; a translucent pigment sheet positioned between the image display board and the light source, the translucent pigment sheet including several pigment clusters, each pigment cluster including an array of translucent pigment areas, each member port in the image display board being rotatably fitted with a colorless translucent member preferably in the form of a translucent disk having a disk distal end which is substantially planar and positioned directly proximally of one of the pigment clusters. Each disk has a radially offset selective color admission means admitting only certain selected wavelengths of light from the light source illuminating the disk with corresponding colors from only rotationally selected pigment areas of a pigment cluster, each disk having a disk proximal end with a radially offset engaging and orienting structure in the form of a proximally protruding structure or an abrasive surface. A directing object surface, such as the palm of a user hand, slides over the disk proximal ends and engages the engaging and orienting structures and thereby drags the disks rotationally about their rotational axes to the direction of object movement.
As a result of this construction, light shining from the light source through the pigment sheet causes a selected color or colors to pass into each given disk, so that the disk glows the selected color or colors when seen from the proximal side of the image display board. Rotating any given disk selects different wavelengths of visible light filtered through and isolated by the array of pigment areas in the pigment cluster to illuminate the disk with any of several available colors. By selecting different colors to illuminate the various disks in the display board, an illuminated color pattern or a picture of something may be created.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been board games in which various patterns are created from illuminated elements. In most cases, these have taken the form of tinted and polarized sheet portions which are positioned one over the other to create desired patterns. A problem with these prior devices has been that in some instances the illumination elements have to be removed and thereby subjected to the possibility of loss to change the color or pattern. Another problem has been that the range of color choices for elements, whether mounted individually or overlaid with other elements, has been highly limited. Yet another problem has been that the board cannot be set vertically upright for display without loss of the constructed image.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide an image creating apparatus having lighted translucent members preferably taking the form of rotatable disks or rods capable of illumination in individually selected colors to combine to form an image such as a pattern or a picture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which each disk has an offset engaging and orienting structure permitting a change in the disk color by brushing a directing object surface over and against the disk so that the directing object surface drags the offset engaging and orienting structure around to the direction of directing object movement and thereby rotates the disk so that a selected color is transmitted through the disk and illuminates the disk with the selected color.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus in which the translucent members are rotatably mounted in ports in an image display board and the board can be positioned substantially vertically without loss of selected disk orientation and of the resulting color selection and collective image, because the disks are engaged by the board and rotate rather than tilt for color selection, permitting the board to be held in front of an existing external light source such as a house lamp or the sun, and the disks to be illuminated by the external light source.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is compact, light weight, easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.